MOBILE, Alabama – School officials have had to cope with campus disruptions this week caused by rumors spread on the Yik Yak app. Here is some information about what the app does and how it is being used.

What is it? Yik Yak is a mobile app. The user installs it on his smartphone.

How does it work? Yik Yak users can send comments anonymously. Those who see the comments don’t have to have an account; they only have to be logged on. The app uses location services to bring comments to a user’s feed from other users nearby. On Wednesday, that region seemed to cover a 30-mile radius, according to officials with the Mobile County school system.

What’s the problem with it? Yik Yak posts can be especially vicious and hurtful, since there is no way to trace their source, and can be disseminated widely. For example, a Yik Yak comment about a student at one school can be seen in seconds by students at another school across town.

But the app’s use became much more sinister on Wednesday, when officials at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School and at Murphy and Baker high schools reported rumors of campus shootings.

Other school systems have reported problems, including the Trussville City Schools system. When it first began being used, the app “hit like a ton of bricks,” Clay-Chalkville High School principal Michael Lee said, according to a report from The Trussville Tribune.

The Mobile County school system possibly has a bigger problem, though, because many of its schools are part of the miDevice, or Bring Your Own Device program, said David Akridge, the school system’s chief information officer. The school system has already blocked the app from its network, but that obviously won't stop students with smartphones from using it on their own networks.

Can’t we just forbid our kids from using it? Sure, but bear in mind that most young smartphone users know how to install, and uninstall, apps very quickly. The child who leaves for school in the morning with no Yik Yak on his phone can easily install it, use it and then delete it again before he comes back home.

So, what can be done?Yik Yak does have community use guidelines on yikyakapp.com. According to the guidelines, the app shouldn’t be used for bullying or targeting of “other yakkers.” Users are also advised to refrain from using people’s full names and phone numbers and to “downvote” or report “useless or offensive yaks.”

“We rely on our communities to do the right thing,” the guidelines read. “You have the power.” Users who are continually reported will be warned, then suspended, according to the guidelines, which end with, “Spread the word to grow the herd. Ride the Yak.”

To report a cruel or offensive comment, the recipient may select the comment and click the "report inappropriate" button. A recipient may also take a screen shot of the comment and email it to yikyakapp@gmail.com.

The bottom line: You can take away your child's smartphone, or you can teach your child to be a responsible digital citizen, Akridge said. Otherwise, he said, “there’s no good way to police it.”